Acceptance
by MattII
Summary: My first short, and also my first K rated publication. Vitani has trouble fitting into her new life after the death of her mother, but an unexpected intrusion by Nala does the trick.


I don't own any of the characters.

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Vitani lay on the ledge some way from Pride Rock. She spent a fair deal of time out here, not because she disliked the other lionesses, although there were one or two she didn't get on with, but because she enjoyed the solitude. Back home, correction, back in the Outlands, her relative lack of social skills hadn't been much of a problem, she'd spent more time with her pride-sisters training or hunting than, but here in the Pridelands things were much closer, and her still underdeveloped social skills often left her feeling awkward.

It wasn't the truth though, or at least not the 'whole' truth. Deep in the pit of her stomach Vitani was also uneasy with her own actions, she'd spent years as mother's greatest follower, more so than even Kovu had been, and on the day mother died she'd personally taunted and attack the queen, and while Nala hadn't mentioned it, or even given any indication it bothering her, it was bothering the former Outland lioness.

Vitani's contemplations were quickly broken though when she heard someone else approaching. Turning to face the new arrival, she got a shock when she suddenly found herself face-to-face with Nala, "qu-queen Nala."

"Hello Vitani," Nala replied, smiling warmly. She paused a moment as she noticed the former Outlander's shock, "is something wrong Vitani?"

"What," Vitani replied, struggling a moment to regain her mental balance, then replied, "no, no nothing's wrong, I'm just, contemplating."

Nala was silent a moment, then said, "well, I'm sure you have a to come to terms with, after all, you've been through a big change recently."

"Yeah, yeah I have," Vitani said, smiling relievedly at the though that she'd managed to fool Nala, "I mean, for the others it was just a way of life, but they weren't as close to mother as I was."

"I can understand that," Nala said sympathetically, "so it's probably better if I let you get on with sorting it out in your own mind." When Vitani nodded vigorously, she half turned, as if to leave, then said, "one last thing."

"Yes Na-queen Nala," Vitani said, wondering what the older lioness was going to say.

Nala turned back, her former warmth barely noticeable under her severely stern expression, "what's really going on?"

"What," Vitani asked, caught almost completely off-guard by Nala's totally different manner, "uh, nothing, nothing's going on, really?"

"Uh-huh," Nala said, completely unconvinced, "Vitani, you're a good fighter and a good hunter, but you're not a good liar." She paused a moment, then asked again, "what's really going on?"

Vitani was silent for a few moments, trying to outstare Nala, but the queen's conviction was more powerful than the younger lioness's hope, and she soon had to concede. Looking down, she sighed, and finally said, "I uh, I guess I have to, want to say, um, sorry."

"Really," Nala said a touch surprised, but a more interested, "and which particular action do you feel you have to apologise for?"

Vitani refused to look up, instead scuffing her paw on the ledge, before replying, "for taunting you and attacking you."

The answer came as something of a surprise to Nala. She hadn't forgotten what had happened that day, but she'd thought that unifying welcoming the former Outlanders in would show forgiveness. This apparently wasn't the case with Vitani though, so, to put the younger lioness's mind at ease, she said, "you're forgiven."

"I-I'm forgiven," Vitani asked, surprised and a little incredulous, "it's that simple, I apologise and you forgive?"

"Yes, apology and forgiveness is how it usually goes," Nala replied, "besides, you were obviously punishing yourself with it, so I see no reason to add to your pain." Vitani stared, still unsure what to say, when the queen went on, "besides, we forgave all of that when we accepted you into the pride."

Finally Vitani's shock broke, and she blurted out, "how can you forgive us just like that, we tried to kill you."

"You did that," Nala replied, "but if we were let our hate keep us apart, Zira wins."

Vitani turned this over in her head for some time, before replying, "that makes sense I suppose, but I was still mother's strongest supporter."

"And the first to turn against her," Nala replied, "the first to realise that her actions were wrong, or at least the first to act on it."

"Well when you put it like that..." Vitani began, then saw Nala's smile, and despite all her effort could not keep one off her own face, "okay, you got me."

"Yes, I know," Nala said, then turned to leave, for real this time, "coming?"

"Soon," Vitani replied, to which Nala nodded, and finally left.

When Nala was gone Vitani turned back to the scene she'd spent so much time watching recently, and settled herself down again. The scene was different now though, for as little as the sun had moved, her perception had changed. No longer was she an outsider, an intruder on the perfection here, she was now a part of that perfection.

Vitani rested there for a while longer before deciding it was finally time to cast off her old life and embrace her new one. With that in mind, she rose, gave one more glance at the scene before her, then left. It would be a long time before she returned.

On a rise some distance away, Nala watched, smiling, as a tine shape appeared for a few moments distinct from the rock's normal outline, then disappeared into the grass.


End file.
